Where I Want To Be
by DecemberWildfire
Summary: (Gaara X OC). Naruto wasn't the only one who helped Gaara strive to become a better man. A very fluffy story about a girl named Harley and her history with Gaara.
1. Friend

A/N: So I'll just say right now that I've been listening to Paramore a lot lately and therefore am literally bringing them into the story; mainly Hayley Williams. It's a thing. Kinda where the OC comes from too. I'll explain more as the story goes on.

* * *

It had only been a couple weeks since the young Jinchuriki had become Kazekage. So naturally, there were skeptics. Not everyone had seen his journey and transformation since his childhood and early teen days. Anti-Kazekage groups had even formed at the beginning. But for the most part, people just had questions. One person in particular from the local newspaper had decided to approach Gaara one afternoon for a brief interview.

"So this Naruto Uzumaki you speak of… he was the one who triggered the change in you?"

"Indeed. He was the one who showed me that even a monster such as myself can be accepted by others and can assist and protect them. He taught me… or rather, _reminded_ me, that love and selflessness truly do exist."

"And one of the leading causes for your dark state of mind in the past was the fact that you didn't have any friends as a child?"

"Well… that's not entirely true."

Gaara paused for a moment, turning his chair to gaze out the window.

"There was one. I did have one friend, but only for a couple of weeks. It's a bit of a story…"

"I'm all ears."

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The small redhead was walking around the village, head hanging low and eyes welling up. He had just had a door slammed in his face by a kid he just tried to apologize to and brought medicine for.

 _Why am I such a freak? Why is it just me? What am I good for...?_

He sat on the roof of his house for hours, staring at the night sky. He did this often, as he didn't sleep. He wasn't _allowed_ to. But he never felt tired, so it didn't bother him much.

Late into the night, almost morning at that point, he decided to wander around some more. It was always very quiet while the village was asleep, and he was used to it. However, as he got closer to the edge of town, he started to hear faint music.

Gaara followed the sound and found a young woman sitting on a bench, quietly playing guitar and singing. Quite an unusual sight for the Hidden Sand. But the music was pretty. She had bright red hair and had a soothing voice, resulting in him staying and listening from a distance.

 _"Would someone care to classify_

 _Our broken hearts and twisted minds_

 _So I can find someone to rely on_

 _And run_

 _To them, to them_

 _Full speed ahead_

 _Oh, you are not useless_

 _We are just_

 _Misguided ghosts_

 _Traveling endlessly…"_

Gaara had never seen this woman before, and he hadn't really heard a whole lot of music in his life. But he was intrigued. Somehow he felt like her words were touching his soul; speaking to him personally.

She finished playing the song, and happened to look up and catch sight of the timid child. He clutched his teddy bear and started sweating a little.

"Hey, are you okay over there?" she called out, packing up her guitar and slowly approaching him.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. I um… I liked your song…"

The woman smiled, kneeling down to his level. "Thanks a bunch. I like to come out at sunrise and practice. It's really peaceful out here. I didn't think anyone else was up yet."

She gave a concerned look at the child, who seemed to be too nervous to make direct eye contact.

"So, what are you doing out so early?"

"This is what I always do..."

"Where are your parents?"

"Father and Yashamaru are probably still working. I'm sorry... I'm really not supposed to talk to anyone..."

The red-headed musician started to feel some pain in her heart as she really took note of the sadness in his eyes. It was very similar - almost identical - to a certain someone near and dear to her, when they had first met.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Gaara."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Gaara. I'm Hayley."

She held out a hand to him. He stared at it for a moment in surprise and slight confusion, before placing his tiny hand in hers.

"Are you doing anything today?"

"No, not really…"

She could sense his intense loneliness. It was all too familiar.

"You know, my band and I are gonna be here in town for a couple weeks, until our bus gets fixed. We're visiting from America but we broke down and we're way too far from the closest airport. My little sister's here with us and she's about your age. Maybe you could come meet her? It would be really cool if she had a friend to hang out with while she's stuck here with us."

Gaara's eyes lit up. His whole face did, really.

"F-friend? Really?"

"Yeah! Come on, you can hang out with us today, as long as your folks don't mind. It looks like the sun's starting to come up, so people should be waking up soon."

A big smile appeared on his face as he followed.

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

She turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't I be? You seem like a nice kid."

"Because I'm… a monster…"

"A monster…?" she simply smiled at him. "You look like a regular kid to me."

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The village was beginning to wake up when the two reached the hotel. They were stopped on the way in by a young man sitting on the front porch.

"Up and at it so early _again?_ This is so unlike you, Hayley."

"Well, what can I say? I don't like missing out on the sunrises here. They're different from back home."

"Or maybe you're still jet lagged."

"Also possible. What are _you_ doing up so early?"

"Couldn't sleep. Uh... who's the kid?"

Hayley turned to Gaara, who was once again tightly squeezing his teddy bear.

"This is Gaara. I wanted to introduce him to Harley so she would have company while we're figuring our lives out."

She knelt down to Gaara's level again. "This is Ryan. He's a good friend of ours and came along on the tour with us. He seems grumpy at first, but trust me, he's a real softie."

"You should really learn to whisper," Ryan huffed.

"Good tip, you should teach!" she teased. "But anyways, let's go inside. I'm freezing."

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Hayley quietly stepped into the room, surprised to find her sister already awake and ready for the day.

"Hey, kiddo. Seems like you've still got jet lag too, huh?"

"I actually slept really well! Just woke up really early."

The young girl knelt down to tie her shoes. "So how much longer are we stuck here?"

"Unfortunately it'll probably be a couple weeks. It's gonna take a while before the crew can get out here to work on the bus. But it doesn't have to be all bad. I met a kid your age who wants to meet you. You wanted to make friends here, right?"

"Really? O-okay, sure, that sounds fine. But… you know you don't have to go out and recruit friends for me, right?"

Hayley let out a quiet laugh. "All right, kiddo. Come on, he's out in the hall waiting."

The two exited the room and met Gaara outside the door.

"This is Gaara," she told her sister, nudging her over to him.

"Hi! I'm Harley," she said, extending a hand out to him. He wasn't so hesitant to shake this time.

"It's nice to meet you," he said nervously, though not as bad as before. "I like your necklace..."

He really didn't know what to say. He never had this kind of opportunity before.

"Hey Gaara, if you don't mind, maybe you could show her around the village?" Hayley said. "We just got here and so we don't really know our way around yet. But don't go too far, okay?"

"Okay! Come on!"

A burst of excited energy ran through the young boy as he took Harley's hand and ran out of the building. Somehow she felt excited too. Though she hated admitting it, at that point in life she also struggled to make friends. Her background before being taken in by Hayley didn't exactly make it easy for her.

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All of the band members were out in the tour bus that afternoon, working on music and trying to figure out how to best spend their time while they were stranded in that desert. None of them were particularly fond of deserts, especially after shooting a certain music video and getting caught in a sandstorm a few years prior.

Ryan came in to interrupt.

"Hayley, can you come outside for a minute? I really need to talk to you."

"Uh… yeah, sure."

The two exited the bus and leaned against the side of it. Ryan seemed to be deeply troubled by something.

"So, you remember my Uncle Pat, right?" he began.

"Yeah, of course. What about him?"

"Well, apparently the leader of this town knows him. They sort of became buds a long time ago when he visited this village. Of course, I had no idea until the Kazekage, Rasa, approached me this morning, somehow knew who I was, and informed me of this. And that's when we got to talking…"

"...Talking about what?"

"Apparently that kid Gaara is his son. And the thing I really needed to tell you is that… he's a Jinchuriki."

She tilted her head slightly in confusion. "A Jinchuriki? What's that?"

"I learned about them when I studied Japanese history. In short, there are nine beings called tailed beasts here in Japan, and each of them is sealed away in a human, in order to prevent them from wreaking havoc. It's not like possession or anything, as the humans are still in control of themselves, but they gain crazy amounts of power. Like shinobi on steroids. You… know what shinobi are, right?"

"Yeah, I do. I saw some of them in action the last time we came to Japan, and after that... not too many things have shocked me or weirded me out. But wait, I still don't see the problem with Gaara. It sounds like being a Jinchuriki or whatever doesn't change a person besides making them more powerful, right?"

"Well, not exactly. It's a really complicated thing to explain, but according to Rasa, Gaara is a dangerous one. He doesn't know how to completely control his power."

 _Is that why he seemed so lonely and sad? And why he called himself a monster? Does this entire village ostracize him?_

"Well… he's a little kid. How much can they really expect from someone that young? And he didn't seem dangerous at all to me. You've always said I'm a good judge of character, right?"

"He didn't seem dangerous to me either, but I'm worried about Harley. I know she's very smart and mature for her age and can be trusted to handle herself, but... at the very least we should keep an eye on them to make sure nothing happens. That was a huge concern Rasa had."

"Okay. I told them to stay close to the hotel so they can't be far."

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"Whoa! That's so cool!"

Harley was in awe of the sand sculptures Gaara had made. She was aware that the shinobi in Japan had special powers, but didn't realize they could be so… artistic.

"What about… a guitar? Like the one my sister was playing? Can you make that?"

In a matter of seconds, Gaara's sand shifted into a perfect guitar sculpture. He was quite enjoying entertaining her.

"This is so much fun! You're a really cool friend to have!"

A small blush spread across his face. "Friend?"

"Totally! I bet you could use your sand to help people in all kinds of cool ways too!"

" _Help_ people…? Really? How?"

"Well-"

"Hey, you two!" Hayley called out as she and Ryan approached them. "Having fun?"

"Yeah!" Harley replied. "Look at these sand sculptures Gaara made!"

Her eyes widened at the sight of them. "You _made_ these?"

"And it only took seconds!" Harley said.

"Way cool, kid. Hey, I hate to break up the party, but is it okay if I steal Harley away for just a minute?"

Gaara nodded.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Ryan and I need to tell you something…"

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The two girls entered their hotel room with Gaara, who was very confused as to what was going on or what they needed to talk to him about.

They sat down and invited him to do the same, both smiling warmly at him. That was a new thing for him. It was comforting.

"Gaara…" Hayley began. "We know about Shukaku. We know everything."

His eyes widened as he let out a gasp.

"And we want you to know that _it's okay._ "

"I...I…"

Harley leaned forward to chime in. "Really, it's okay! We still like you, and I still want to be your friend. I had fun with you and I trust you, and I don't want to stop being friends just because other people say I should. I know you'd never try to hurt me."

"R-really? You're not going to run away?" His eyes started to water as he questioned whether or not this was really happening.

The two girls moved over to his side and hugged him. This caught him off guard. He had never been… _hugged_ before. It felt so warm. So safe. _What is this?_

"The two of us and the band are planning to hang out here and play games tonight. Wanna join us?" Hayley asked.

His face was glowing as he looked up and let out a big "yeah!"

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A week passed. Gaara was already having a bad day, having been treated exceptionally badly by his peers after trying to approach them with a sliver of newfound confidence, only to be clobbered. Harley was apparently busy with something that day and couldn't play with him, as much as she wanted to.

That was the night when Yashamaru attempted to assassinate him and dropped the huge bomb on his heart.

 _"I always hated you…"_

 _"You were never loved. Never…"_

He began his meltdown, etching the tattoo into his forehead and almost ready to lose control, when a small blonde girl, who had witnessed the whole ordeal from a hiding place, ran up to him as fast as she could and brought him into a tight hug, ignoring the vicious streams of sand.

"H-Harley…"

"It's not true. What he said, about you never being loved, it's not true. You ARE loved, by me, and my sister. I'm so sorry that he…"

She was starting to sob with him. This managed to calm him down and prevent Shukaku from breaking loose, as he squeezed his friend in his arms and practically bawled.

However…

A certain person behind the third eye that was watching everything was not so pleased. For his true plan was not to test Gaara's self-control, but to bring out his full power to see just how great of a weapon he could be.

* * *

A/N: Plz don't hate me for altering Gaara's backstory a little. He's a precious cinnamon roll and I wanted him to at least have a short amount of time to be happy as a kid, without changing who he was or the direction his life went.

(Song referenced was "Misguided Ghosts")


	2. No More Distractions

"All right, everything's running smoothly and we're all packed. We're ready to leave any time now," Ryan announced to the band and crew.

Hayley was bringing down the last of her and Harley's luggage and piling it into the bus. She went over to join her sister in saying goodbye to Gaara, who was in tears.

"Do you really have to go…?" he sobbed.

"I really wish you could come with us…" Harley said. "But we already figured everything out, remember? We'll write to each other all the time, and once school's out for me we'll come back and visit! We'll keep in touch, no matter what!"

"I'll write to you too," Hayley said. "We'll all keep in touch. So this isn't 'goodbye,' it's 'see ya later.'"

Her attempts at comforting him didn't seem to be working. She knelt down and hugged him, and Harley joined. His sobs were uncontrollable at this point.

"I don't want you to go…"

"Hayley!" one of the guys called out. "We need your help over here!"

"Just a sec!" she called back.

She put a hand on Gaara's shoulder. "It's gonna be okay. We'll both be back here hanging out with you before you know it!"

She headed over to the bus to solve whatever situation was going on, and Harley hugged him one more time.

"I'll write to you as soon as I get home! I promise!"

She ended the embrace and let out a sigh. "So, until then…"

She started walking to the bus, when she felt a stream of sand catch her by the arm. Turning around to her sad friend, she sighed and walked back over to him. She wasn't scared by what he did, like anyone else would have been. She just… understood.

"Hey," she said, standing in front of him again and pointing at the small onyx pendant around her neck. "You told me before that you liked this necklace, right?"

He nodded.

"Well then…" she proceeded to remove it from her neck and placed it around his. "Why don't you keep it? It'll be something to remember me by, until we see each other again."

He held the onyx stone in his hand, tears slowly ceasing. Harley hugged him once more, saying, "See you in a few months."

And with that, she successfully made it onto the bus, not being held back this time. Gaara watched them drive away until they were out of sight, sad but also feeling a spark of hope for his life.

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 _A month later…_

"FATHER! _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!_ "

A horrified Gaara stood in the doorway of his room, staring at his very angry dad. Apparently Rasa had raided his room and found the stack of letters from the girls, as well as the CD player and Paramore CDs they had given him. He tore up the letters and smashed the CDs and player to bits.

"I told you that you weren't to be talking to these people anymore," Rasa began. "I thought I made myself very clear: you are to focus on your training, and training alone. You are not to be wasting your time with these distractions."

Gaara's face grew as hot as fire, and in the spur of the moment he sent a sand attack towards his father, which he easily blocked.

"Ever since you met these people, you've been neglecting your training and have become soft. I wouldn't be able to block your attacks so easily if you stayed focused."

"They're my friends!" he screamed. "They're the only people who were ever nice to me! You can't take them away from me!"

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your brief time of having friends, because that all ends now. You won't be communicating with these people anymore. I'm forbidding any letters they send from coming to this village, and I will not allow them to return here. You are this village's hope in case of a war, and I will not allow you to be swayed away by a couple of distractions!"

The young boy was fuming with rage. He tightly gripped the pendant around his neck, which his father took note of.

"What's that in your hand? Is that from them too?"

He snatched it away with his gold and shattered it to pieces.

"Before you know it, they'll have forgotten about you."

Gaara was horrified. Completely horrified. And then he did what his father wanted from the start. He went berserk.

Rasa forced him outside and he went on a rampage. He figured he could stop Shukaku when he needed to, but he let him go for a while, in order to see his full potential. And he ended up struggling a lot more than he expected to stop him.

* * *

A/N: I know I'm making Rasa a bigger asshole than he already was, but it seemed like a way for Gaara to become the same character, despite having friendship briefly before meeting Naruto.

My headcanons are strange, but in my little world, the whole Naruto universe doesn't actually take place in medieval times, but these hidden villages don't have all the advanced technology that most of the rest of the world has, since they don't really interact much with the rest of the world besides other villages and such. Plus they use most of their funds to pay ninjas for missions and all that. But they're slowly advancing in technology, especially after being introduced to stuff when people from other countries come visit. That's also why most other countries in the world aren't all that familiar with shinobi, Jinchurikis, etc.

I also like to think that everyone in these hidden villages are bilingual, so they can speak and understand English just fine.


	3. Forgiven

It shouldn't come as a shock that Rasa's plan for Gaara backfired, but it did in fact come as a shock to him. It wasn't that he didn't become a powerful weapon, but he ended up harming even his own people if they pushed him the wrong way. He loved and looked after only himself and didn't care about the welfare of the village; or so he claimed. Really, he was living in fear and any kind of lashing out was a defense mechanism; but he would never admit that. So Rasa attempted to kill his son multiple times; all futile efforts. And then he gave up, handing him over to Baki for the next several years.

Gaara thought about Harley and Hayley everyday at first. But his father had really tried to make him forget. He would often hammer in Yashamaru's last words, reminding him that he was never loved. And so after a while, Gaara decided he would just be the monster that everyone thought he was; the monster his father wanted him to be.

Six years later, it was that time for the Chunin exams and the attack on the Hidden Leaf...

Rasa's death...

And Gaara's life-changing battle with Naruto.

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The young Jinchuriki said he was going to work hard to gain the trust of the village. And he definitely did. He had been taking on every mission he possibly could, and had completed each and every one of them flawlessly, while also protecting all of his comrades. Some were beginning to see and accept this new side of him. But most others, naturally, took much longer.

It had been a few months since the fight with Naruto. He was 14 years old at this point, though his siblings were always amazed at how wise beyond his years he was.

One afternoon during some downtime, he was strolling through town when he heard a loud voice from behind.

"Gaara! Hey!"

The redhead turned around to find a blonde teen running his way, wrapping her arms around him.

"I missed you so much! I can't believe I finally get to see you again…"

It took a second, but his eyes widened in realization.

"...Harley?"

She released her hug and looked into his surprised eyes. "I tried writing to you so many times, and we even tried traveling out here, but we weren't allowed. They said the Kazekage didn't want us interacting with the village anymore. But as soon as I heard about his passing, I jumped on a plane and… Gaara? Are you okay?"

He had a look of deep sorrow in his eyes, but it was different from when they were kids. It was more… regretful.

"Harley… it's good to see you, but I don't think you should be hanging around me anymore."

"What? What do you mean?"

He couldn't even make eye contact.

"I'm not the person you used to know."

"What are you talking about? I don't-"

"Gaara!" a voice called out.

From behind him came Kankuro and Temari.

"We were just assigned a mission and we need to leave right now," Kankuro said. The two took note of the girl with him. The last time they saw him hanging out with a girl was… never.

"Who's this?"

He turned back his head. "This is Harley. An old friend."

"Oh, you mean _that_ Harley you told us about? The one friend you had as a kid?"

"Erm… yeah, that's me," she said shyly.

The two got up close and examined this individual. _So this is the person who befriended their baby brother long before anyone else did?_

"We should chat later," Kankuro said. "But right now we need to head out."

"Sure, no problem…"

After they were out of sight, Baki came up behind Harley, causing her to jump a bit.

"Gah! How long have you been standing there?!"

"Gaara's told me about you before. I'm his sensei, Baki."

"Well… nice to meet you, Baki. Maybe announce your presence next time?"

"I overheard you two earlier. Gaara's been through a lot and has done… a lot, since you were last here. I don't know if he'll be able to bring himself to tell you, but as his long-time friend, I think you should know. I can fill you in, if you would like."

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Harley found her red-headed friend where his siblings said he'd be: on the outskirts of town, sitting at the edge of a cliff and gazing out at the sunset. It was really pretty out there, even though it was just sand dunes for miles. Coming out here always eased his mind a bit.

"So… good mission?" she blurted out.

He turned his head slightly and gave a gentle smile. "You could say that."

"Mind if I join you?"

"Do as you please."

She took a seat next to him and they were silent for a moment as they took in the view. The setting sun was bright but somehow not blinding.

"I know what happened with you. Baki told me everything."

His eyes shot open in horror. "He _WHAT?!_ "

"And I just want to say that it's okay and I forgive you."

 _You… you…_

She gently placed a hand on his, reassuring him that she meant it. "You're still my friend, and I still care about you. You went through so much. And after all that your father and uncle put you through-"

"It doesn't matter. The things I did, the atrocities I committed… it's all unforgivable."

"Not true," she said firmly. "Of course I'm not saying that it was okay to commit murder or hurt people, but for one thing, you were sort of brainwashed into doing it. And the more important thing is, you _repented_. Even now, knowing everything, when I look at you, I still see the same, kind person I saw six years ago."

He turned his head away, tears starting to roll down his face. He was trying to keep it together.

 _I… don't... deserve..._

With her hand still on his, she continued. "I know you. You have a good heart. _I forgive you._ "

He wiped his face with his free hand and faced forward again. "Thank you… Harley."

"On a lighter note... I got coffee with Kankuro and Temari just now," she said. "They told me you're aiming to become Kazekage?"

"Yeah."

"Well I think that's awesome! What led you to that?"

"My fight with Naruto. Seeing him fight for the sake of his friends, risking his life for them… even though he was just like me. But he chose a different path. And I learned that I also have a choice to take a different path. I want to be… needed. I want to be helpful. I don't want to be a feared weapon anymore. I want to be Kazekage, so that I can protect this village and every person in it."

"See? You have a good heart," she said, winking at him. "That's really admirable. Seriously. I'm so happy that you were able to meet Naruto and have an experience like that. I… I wish I could've been there for you all this time. I'm really sorry…"

Gaara turned to look at his friend who was now starting to tear up. "It's not your fault. My father was the one who prevented it. There was nothing you could have done."

"I know, I just… I'm sorry."

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Yeah. Anything."

"You and your sister are the only people who have never feared me, even initially. Especially you. Back then, you even ran up to me, unafraid, when my power was unleashing and I was about to lose control. It would only be natural for you to be afraid of me after hearing from the village about how dangerous I was, and learning about… what I became during the years after you left. So… why? Why are you not like the others?"

Harley leaned back a bit and took a deep breath, staring at the sky for a moment.

"I guess it's because… I sort of understand your pain. Even though it wasn't nearly as extreme for me, I also struggled a lot with loneliness and being an outcast when I was younger."

"Is that so? You never told me about that."

"Before Hayley took me in and basically adopted me, I lived with our biological parents. But they were both alcoholics... though my mom somehow managed to resist drinking while pregnant both times. My dad was a lot worse. We lived in a small, impoverished town, so lots of people knew about it, and all the kids at school isolated me, as if I had something to do with my parents' issues or like they were going to rub off on me. I got bullied quite a bit. But Hayley… she was actually adopted shortly after she was born. My parents decided they didn't want to have to take care of a kid. But once they learned of her huge fame and success with Paramore, they tried to make the same thing happen for me. They forced me into acting pretty much from the day I was born, hoping I would become famous and make a lot of money for them. That's also why they gave me a similar name, though for a while I thought it was because they were seriously lacking in creativity. But anyways... one day when I was six, they managed to get me a part on one of Paramore's music videos. Neither Hayley or I knew that we were sisters... but Ryan knew. Because, well… he's Ryan and he just has a way of knowing things."

She paused for a second and let out a soft laugh.

"He came barging in on the set of the video shoot, thankfully after we finished filming and people were packing up. He pulled both of us aside individually and told us everything. Luckily our parents weren't there, but after the news was spilled, Hayley came up to me and just… looked at me with such genuine love, before giving me what she likes to call a 'big bear hug.' She cried a little, telling me how happy she was and that she always wanted a sister. A little bit later, Ryan found out about my parents' drinking problem and told Hayley, and together they worked with social services, who deemed them unfit to take care of a child. And that's when she took me in. She was the first friend I ever had."

"You found someone who cared about you… and that ended your solitude?"

"Well, it certainly helped a good deal. I still struggled to make friends for a while, being in a new town and not really knowing _how_ to make friends. But over time it happened. I met some really cool people... like you." She winked at him.

He blushed for a split second and turned back to face the view.

"Harley…"

"Yeah?"

"...I'm grateful to have met you."

* * *

A/N: So none of this is the real Hayley Williams' backstory by any means lol. In a way I kinda made her into an OC too, because my brain is ridiculous.

I guess I should explain why I did this weird crossover. In the music video for Brick By Boring Brick, the little girl's name was Harley. I don't really know anything about her, but ever since I was a kid I always thought they looked like sisters. And idk, I guess I was thinking about that when coming up with this ridiculous AU.

ALSO- I probably should've mentioned this sooner, but in my headcanons, Gaara is actually a couple years older than he was in the anime. So he and Harley were 8 when they met instead of 6, he was 14 during the chunin exams instead of 12, 16 when he became Kazekage instead of 14, etc etc. Even before learning his age, when I was watching the show he always seemed at least 1-2 years older than Naruto and co. from the very beginning, so I'm going with it.


	4. My Best Friend

A/N: Prepare for fluff. Lots of it.

* * *

Ever since Rasa's passing and the restrictions were lifted from Harley and everyone she knew, she had been visiting Gaara often. Hayley would occasionally join her on these visits when she wasn't busy with the band. Even grumpy Ryan would tag along frequently. Harley eventually started bringing him potted cacti as gifts with nearly every visit, knowing how much he loved them. There was nothing he enjoyed more in life than the company of those two.

While it's true that Naruto was Gaara's inspiration for striving to become Kazekage, the strength and faith to push through the hard times came from the constant encouragement and affirmation that those two girls gave him over the years, when Naruto was away on his training journey. With all the fear and doubt from the village, the hateful insults they would spit at him, the way they still isolated him... despite all of the missions he went on and all the people he protected, and all the kindness he showed… he wondered if it would have been possible to able to stay strong and achieve his goal without those two and their support. Of course his siblings and Baki were great too, but like the others, it still took some time for them to fully and completely trust him and feel comfortable around him. And he knew it full well.

He never felt more treasured and valued than when he arrived back to Suna after the Akatsuki incident. The entire village cheering for him, a huge group of friends who saved his life, almost dying themselves in the process… none of this would he have ever thought possible.

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A few days after the return, Gaara and his siblings were having a meeting in his office.

"You no longer have Shukaku, but that doesn't mean we should let our guard down," Kankuro began.

"The Akatsuki now know about your ties with Naruto, and they're still after him. They might still try to use you to lure him out," Temari said.

"I won't let that happen," Gaara replied. "I will protect him with my life, no matter what. Additionally, we now have a very good idea of how powerful the Akatsuki members are, and can take the appropriate precautions as needed."

"I understand, but-"

Suddenly, the office door swung open.

"Gaara! Are you okay?"

A familiar blonde woman stood at the doorway. The Kazekage turned around only to be quickly caught in her arms.

"Harley, what are you-"

"Baki told me what happened when I got here and I needed to see you. It's all so messed up. I can't believe that they... and I'm just… just... _so glad you're okay!_ "

She started sobbing into his shoulder and hugged him tighter. He slowly put his arms around her and turned to his siblings.

"Would you mind giving us a minute?"

They nodded and exited the office.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I didn't mean to make a scene or break down like this. Gosh, I feel like an idiot. I was just so worried. If anything happened to you…"

"I'm okay. You don't need to worry."

"You _died!_ "

He gently pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"Yes. But I'm okay now. This incident really taught me something: that as long as I have my friends to count on, I'll be fine. Friends like you, who care so deeply."

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"Gaara, we have something important to talk to you about."

Kankuro and Temari entered the office, looking all serious.

"Is something the matter?"

Their serious looks quickly turned into smirks.

"So what's going on with you and Harley? _Hmmm?_ "

They both winked in unison.

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, the pretty girl who uses all the free time she ever gets to come visit you? The only girl you ever spend time with outside of missions and training?"

"What are you getting at? She's my friend. Of course I'm going to spend time with her when she visits."

"We don't see you spending that kind of time with any _male_ friends…"

"That's because I don't have any close male friends in this village, unless you count Baki."

"Come on, Gaara!" Temari huffed. "You're in love with her and you know it."

"Excuse me?"

"Let me give you some words of wisdom, little brother," Kankuro said, almost condescendingly. "Lying to yourself, ignoring it, denying it, whatever… you won't thank yourself for any of those things later. You should be honest with yourself. And with _her_. She _is_ your friend, isn't she?"

"I'm going to have to ask the both of you to keep out of my personal business." He was getting annoyed.

"This is what siblings are for, ya know," Temari retorted. "But whatever, we'll go now. Just… don't wait too long, okay?"

"Wait too long to do what?"

She paused and sighed at the doorway.

 _"To tell her."_

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The two friends stood by the edge of the cliff, their usual spot for watching the sunset. It was their favorite thing to do. Harley, now also 18 and a high school graduate, wanted this to be the first thing she did after finishing school… or at least that was the plan before learning about the Akatsuki crisis. Still, this was worth the wait.

"Have I told you how proud I am of you?" Harley asked.

"Yes, several times," he replied, smiling gently.

"Well, I am. Really, really proud. You're doing such an amazing job."

"I appreciate your support... more than you know. I probably wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for you."

"Oh, that's not true. You were always fully capable-"

"I thought about giving up several times in the process, believing that the villagers would never trust me no matter what I did. But you and Hayley relentlessly encouraging me every time I saw you… that's what kept me going."

She suddenly found herself blushing, though subtly. Watching him as he gazed at the setting sun, she was in awe for a moment, at the sight of the wonderful man he had become. And the fact that despite everything, there had never been a time in their lives where he wasn't kind to her.

Snapping out of her trance and looking away, she starting to feel her heart race a bit. _Stop it, Harley. Don't make this weird. Just keep loving him as a friend. That's been going really well, so don't screw it up._

"In fact…" Gaara continued after a long pause. "I don't know who or where I would be if it weren't for you. I am not sure if I _want_ to know. Just know that… you…"

His siblings' words played annoyingly in his head.

 _"Don't wait too long."_

He turned his head and noticed her slightly red face.

"Are you okay?"

Her body jolted a bit as she snapped out of whatever trance she was in. "Yeah! Hey, I just remembered that I was supposed to call Hayley when I got to town, but I totally forgot. I should get back to the hotel and do that now…"

She started walking away, but he stayed in place, still looking out. Then, in the spur of the moment, he forced the words out.

"I've always loved you, Harley…"

Stopping in place and spinning around, she stood frozen for a moment.

"...What did you just say?"

His face was almost as red as his hair. "I don't expect a response or anything of the sort. I just… wanted you to know the truth. I owe you that much as a friend."

 _This… this is..._

Tears didn't fall, but she got close.

"Gaara…" she began. "I love you so much. I have ever since we were kids. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that you would…"

He turned around and found himself walking up to her. A single tear fell from his eye, which she slowly brought her hand up to gently wipe away.

He had never done this before. It was all so new. But even so, it came pretty naturally, somehow. Maybe it was those romance movies he had watched with her over the years. But after a moment of hesitation, with her hand still on his face, he leaned in and kissed her. A moment of pure bliss.

"Wow..." she muttered as they slowly pulled away.

His heart started racing with anxiety, realizing what he had just done.

"Are you... was that okay?"

"Yeah, it was more than okay; it was perfect. I'm just... trying to make sure this is really happening."

A barely noticeable tear ran down her face.

"I've loved you for so long..."

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"So…" Temari and Kankuro leaned in close to Harley from across the table. "What exactly _are_ your intentions with our little brother?"

They asked in a playful voice. Truthfully, they adored her. But they still felt the need to play the older siblings role and be overprotective.

Harley giggled at the dorky duo and leaned back in her chair. "Well, if you must know, I want to keep doing what I've always done. I want to always be an encouragement to him and always make him feel loved and valued. Except, now I'm hoping to do it on more of a full-time basis."

"So you're moving to Suna?"

"Yeah… I think I am. It took a lot of convincing, but Gaara offered me a position at the estate. Administrative associate, more or less."

"To leave your home country and come here of all places... that's a huge step."

"It's kinda funny… when I was a kid, my ultimate dream was to be Paramore's band manager. Not that I wouldn't still enjoy that, but… lately when I've thought about my life and my future, it wasn't back there at home, and it wasn't on the road. What I'd really love is it be here, and assist Gaara in whatever way I can. This village has always been on my heart and I want to contribute to its welfare."

"Hmm, I see, I see…" Kankuro jokingly scratched his chin, still being a dork. "So what is it about Gaara that you love so much? You never met any worthy men in your hometown?"

"Gaara was… my first friend. And the thing is, my whole life I've always been known and looked at as either the daughter of the crazy alcoholics, or the sister of Hayley Williams. Not that being compared to my sister is a bad thing, but… Gaara's one of the only people I've ever known who sees me for me, and loves me for _me_ , not just for who I'm related to. And to me that's a really valuable thing."

"I know he feels that same way about you," Temari said. "But you do realize he's a shinobi, and the risk that comes with that, right?"

"I know that. But there's always going to be risk in life no matter what, especially when you love someone. But that doesn't mean it's not still worth it."

"Well said," Temari replied, exchanging a look with her brother. "You have our blessing. Just promise you'll take good care of him and... don't let him overwork himself, okay?"

"I'll certainly do my best…"

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"You doing okay, there?" Harley teasingly asked her beau from behind a very tall stack of papers on his desk.

"It will all get done. It just means an overnighter, most likely."

"You can finally sleep, and you're _still_ pulling overnighters?"

"Only when I have to. The welfare of the village is more important than sleep."

"I'm happy to lend a hand, you know. If you'll recall, I did study quite a bit in political science and I have a lot of experience in filing paperwork. Call me crazy, but I actually think it's kinda fun."

He looked up at her and smiled warmly. "I see."

"Yeah. And besides, soon I'll be doing this kind of work all the time. In fact… if I take half of this stack, maybe, just _maybe_ , you'll be free to grab dinner tonight?"

"I suppose there's no way to find out unless we try."

"Perfect, so I'll take this top half and-"

Her hand was caught by his before she could grab it. He came around from behind his desk and gave her a long hug.

"I love you," he whispered. "Everything about you. I really appreciate everything you do."

"Well get used to it mister, 'cause I'm here to stay."

She grabbed a stack of papers and took a seat on the couch to begin sorting. Gaara watched her for a minute from his desk, amused by how much she seemed to be enjoying this.

After a few minutes, she paused and pulled out her phone.

"Hey, do you always work in silence?"

"It doesn't tend to be very loud up here, so yes."

"Mind if I put on some music? I can play a new Paramore song!"

"Do as you please."

~.~

 _"And the salt in my wounds isn't burning any more than it used to_

 _It's not that I don't feel that pain, it's just I'm not afraid of hurting anymore_

 _And the blood in these veins isn't pumping any less than it ever has_

 _And that's the hope I have, the only thing I know is keeping me alive"_

* * *

A/N: I know this story and the crossovers were ridiculous, but thx for bearing with me.

This was my first shot at writing Naruto characters. I'm new to the fandom so sorry for any OOCness.

Harley's supposed to have a very similar personality to Rory from Gilmore Girls (pre-college), and I wanted to make that more apparent, but I'm not witty enough for that.

(That last song quote was from "Last Hope")

Sorry I'm cheesy


End file.
